1.15 The Prodigal

The mark of Tim Minear's genius is that without him having written any Buffy episodes, and with only three episodes of Angel penned, I already built myself up for a brilliant episode, just from seeing his name on the credits. I think that as a result of this, I wasn't as entirely knocked down by this episode as I may otherwise have been, but it still stayed in the tradition of great Minear efforts.

Let me start with a few unconnected thoughts:

• The cello. I've already mentioned how much I love the theme tune of Angel. Vickie, (I think), told me to look back at 'Amends' and notice the 'cello there in relation to Angel's suffering. Now I've realised that, Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf style, this is definitely true. Here in this episode, the 'cello is used in the flashback sequences. Clearly, the characteristics of the 'cello's sound are an audio shorthand for Angel. A very appropriate one.
• Darla. I have to say that, despite my knowledge that she returns later in the series' run, I was pleased to see her. She also seemed to be a much more interesting character than the ditzy schoolgirl from the first season of Buffy. There, she was just a reflection of Buffy. Ironically, she, the monster, was the thoughtless blonde, while Buffy, the apparent victim, was actually streetwise. Here it seems like Darla has been invested by Minear with some of the vampiric charisma and wisdom of Spike and Drusilla.
• Clearly the lines 'What we once were informs all that we have become. The same love will infect our hearts, even if they no longer beat. Simple death won't change that.' are one of those powerful, universal comments which reflect back and forth through the seasons like a light on a glitterball. It's applicable to every character, and could have been uttered in most situations.
• Kate not doubting that Angel had not bitten her Father? A real sign of trust. In those firts few seconds of grief, it is impossible ot be objective. I personally would have imagined Kate believing it was Angel who killed her Father.
• There's a really wonderful piece of lighting work in this episode. The 1753 Ireland scenes are often exceedingly light. Of course, once Liam is a vampire, he will never see the light again. The deliberately light palette of the scene emphasises both literally and metaphorically Liam's descent into darkness

Clearly, though, the thematic centre of the episode is about fathers and their children. The episode title, 'The Prodigal', is an interesting one. There are layers of meaning. On one hand, the lack of the word 'son' allows both Angel and Kate to somehow fit the allusion of the son who loses all his money on gambling, and then comes back home. On the other, the lack of son makes one wonder whether we're exploring the parable or the word. The prodigality of the son in the parable is irrelevant, because the Father forgives, and loves each child equally, despite his failings. In real life, this is mcuh less true. Liam's Father will never forgive Angel for being prodigal. Instead of welcoming him home after his revellings, he claims Liam is not a man but 'a terrible disappointment'. In Kate's case, the rejection is even more bitter. Her only failing is not being her own mother. Mr Lockley will never forgive Kate for the loss of his wife, something entirely beyond her control.

So in a sense, the episode is not really about Angel and Kate at all. Or if it is, it's about the consequences of a lack of forgiving in their fathers. In the episode, nothing is simply a demon. Kate's Father is killed by his own lack of trust in Angel, (which is itself a reflection of his lack of trust in Kate's judgement). Angel's Father is killed at least partly by his lack of forgiveness. Angel's vampire form comes only from a certain rashness and sense of adventure. It's the mistakes of the past which haunt the present.

At this point, I have to admit that despite some of the powerful sentiments, I still the miss the general cheery mawkishness of sections of Buffy. Cordelia and Wesley's tiring and often irrelevant repartee to me don't match up to the Scooby Gang's humour. There is a general lack of humour in this series. I can understand this, as Angel's journey is a dark one, but it just means that it sometimes lacks a certain balance. There is, consequently, a necessity of making every episode's plot, characterisation and theme hit dead on, because there's no shying away from the often breakneck pace of the plot development. This is a challenge which, in the best episodes, allows the themes even more power. In the ones where it seems slightly less perfect, there can be a feeling of boredom, for me at least.

1.16 The Ring

In this episode, we are given what is, on a surface level, a homage to the then recently released Gladiator. Because of the comments after 'Showtime', I did keep thinking 'Two men entre' one man leaves', but here that's really not the allusion. It's about the rather ancient and primal idea of a powerful patriarchy being able ot make an underclass fight. Of course, there's a re-appropriation of the demon metpahor as a result of it. On Buffy, demons represent inner fears, and personal battles, (stop right now and read manwitch's essay, if you haven't already). Here, the demons seem merely to be slaves, who react to their captivity in varying ways. In a wink to the more pedantic fanatics of the Jossverse, this lack of cohesion is noted at the end as the gang realise they have just freed demons, rather than some supressed Jewish tribe in Israel, (can I say that what they did, being like Moses, was Mosaic? Sorry.)

I was pleased to see the beginning of a development in Cordelia and Wesley's help to Angel. Instead of largely floundering about uselessly, there was a real purpose in their plans, even without the rallying influence of their leader. It reminded me of the Scooby Gang for the first time. Also, the interplay between the two, at times verging on affectionate, [in a Cordelia-Wesley way, not C/W, I hasten to add], was quite touching.

We see Lilah for the first time, and of course, having been somewhat spoiled about the developments in the next three seasons of the Odyssey, it's odd to look at Wesley and Lilah as they are at this stage. Very much opposite. In fact rather like Buffy and Spike in 'School Hard'. My final thought may be a little discomfiting for fans of boxing. I'm not entirely sure how much to read into this, or not. But I did keep getting the feeling that subtle (and sometimes less subtle) hints were being dropped about pugilism in this episode. The title of the episode, 'The Ring', is surely a double entendre with the metal restraint and the arena where the demons fight. The number 21, rendered XXI, is both another suggestion of the allusion to 'Gladiator' (Roman Numerals), and also somwthing else. Where is 21 important? Well, it's obviously to do with coming of age, but it also reminds me of Blackjack. 21 is the key number. But Blackjack is related to casinos and voyeuristic sleaze. There's the greed aspect to it. And then, the round things which keep the demons fighting. A reference to that round thing called money, anyone? The thing which keeps Mike Tyson fighting and biting when it's clear he should be sunning himself and going to a psychiatrist? There were too many references for me not to believe that there was a deliberate hint of a dangerous voyeurism in the money-motivated sport of boxing. And those shadowy Don King/Frank Warren like figures in the background.

Two solid episodes. Coming up soon is an episode called 'Five by Five'. Now who does that remind me of?